DHS Secretary Noem: 'Food policy is national security policy'

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DHS Secretary Noem: 'Food policy is national security policy'

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Kristi Noem, DHS Secretary | official facebook

Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, emphasized the importance of securing the U.S. food supply chain as a matter of national security in a recent press release.

"Food policy is national security policy," said Kristi L Noem, according to U.S. Department of Aggriculture. "A country who cannot feed itself, cannot take care of itself, and cannot provide for itself is not secure. We have to be able to feed ourselves to make sure that no other country ever controls us. We will never let any other country control our food supply or control our people because we will always be the great United States of America."

According to Noem, the National Farm Security Action Plan was introduced on July 8 alongside Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi. The plan identifies American agriculture as a critical aspect of national security and aims to address threats posed by foreign adversaries to U.S. agricultural and food systems. It increases transparency and introduces "tougher penalties" for foreign land ownership while strengthening domestic investment in key manufacturing sectors. Additionally, it seeks to address bio-threats to plants and animals and protect agricultural research and innovation from "hostile nations."

A report from the National Association of Counties indicates that American land owned or leased by Chinese individuals or entities rose by more than 400% between 2010 and 2021. A significant portion of the U.S. pork market is controlled by Chinese-owned WH Group, which acquired Smithfield Foods in 2013. Critics have expressed concerns that these foreign entities may be "siphoning limited resources away from local residents to produce commodities for foreign markets overseas."

In June, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, two Chinese nationals were charged with smuggling a toxic fungus into the U.S. The fungus, Fusarium graminearum, is classified as a "potential agroterrorism weapon." It can cause diseases in wheat, barley, maize, and rice and also pose health risks such as liver damage and reproductive issues in humans and livestock.

Before her appointment as the 8th Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Noem served two terms as governor of South Dakota. She was also a U.S. Representative and a member of the South Dakota state legislature.

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